Five Tokyo-based railways and a major movie producer invested a combined 58 million yen in a rightist-linked land-development company, officials of the firms said Monday.
The investments in Shisui Kaihatsu, which had links with a construction company set up by Saburo Shiga, honorary chairman of a rightwing group, came to light after Oriental Land Co., which runs Tokyo Disney Resort, revealed Friday that it had invested 30 million yen in the company between 1996 and 2000.
Shisui Kaihatsu was liquidated in 2000, they said.
Of the five railways, Keisei Electric Railway Co., Tokyu Corp., Odakyu Electric Railway Co. and Keihin Electric Express Railway Co. said they each invested 12 million yen in Shisui Kaihatsu in 1993 and in 1996. Keio Electric Railway Co. said it had pumped in 2.4 million yen in 1993.
Major movie producer Toei Co. invested a total of 8 million yen in 1993 and 1996, company officials said.
All the officials of the railways claimed they did not know the background of why such investments were made, but added that the investments were "inappropriate" or "regrettable."
"It was not appropriate when looking back on it," a Toei official said.
Oriental Land President Toshio Kagami told a Friday news conference that he would return one month's pay to take responsibility.
Similarly, three managing directors will each also return 10 percent of their monthly pay, while the remaining 17 members of the board will give back 5 percent.
It was already learned that Oriental contracted cleaning work for its head office for some 20 years to another firm that also had links to Shiga.